Public sector procurement frameworks are a great way for public bodies and government agencies to take back some control over their purchasing, without compromising on quality or price.

Public Sector purchasing has a reputation for being clunky and cumbersome, often presenting unwelcome challenges to those wanting or needing to upgrade critical equipment or to take advantage of services such as managed print services that simply make sense.

Preferred supplier lists and lengthy tender red tape mean that often public sector agencies are unable to get the best value for money, or the right equipment for the job when it’s needed.

As a part of the NEPA procurement framework, we are nominated as a reseller by Canon, Epson and Kyocera ASL. We are also on the LPP Framework as a reseller, for those NHS bodies striving to improve patient care.

When using a procurement framework, public sector agencies can have greater flexibility, reducing the red tape and enabling faster and smarter decision making at a local level.

What is a procurement framework?

A procurement framework is an agreement set up to meet the needs of multiple end-users with one single agreement. Before the agreement is drawn up the service provider is thoroughly vetted in the same way they would be during the tender process, and then a single agreement is established – a framework agreement that determines the purchasing terms and conditions, and the service level expectations deliverable to each end-user.

Once these initial framework agreements are established the public sector agency has the freedom to place orders for goods or services as and when they are required, within the framework agreement, without lengthy delays and hours of admin.

The benefits of using a procurement framework

Faster purchases

With the due diligence done upfront, buying through a procurement framework gives government agencies and public bodies free to make purchases when they are needed. This removes the need for such organisations to wait months for the goods and services they need, whilst the tender process takes place.

Increased cost-efficiency  

Because the procurement framework is usually set up to cover multiple agencies, public bodies or establishments, it consolidates otherwise disparate purchases, meaning those using the framework can benefit from economies of scale and cost savings that, independently, they are unlikely to be able to access.

Buy with confidence

And, with the due diligence that takes place when a framework agreement is established, you can be confident in the service you’re purchasing. Company reliability and after-sales support become an important part of the agreement process, and with all of this settled, you can make purchases more easily and have confidence in the price you’re being quoted and the quality and reliability of both the pre-sales and after-sales care you can expect.

ASL is on the NEPA and LPP framework agreements, enabling local government agencies to benefit from the same print management services that bring cost-saving and environmental benefits to privately-owned companies and organisations. You can find more information about our status on the NEPA framework and the LPP Framework on our website here. For more information on how ASL can help your public sector agency benefit from a cost-effective procurement framework, contact us today on 0345 304 3606.